Japanese Fried Rice

Cha-han

Cha-han is one of the most classic of the “foreign” foods that are everywhere in Japan. And while it may have originally come from China, it’s been so tweaked to Japanese taste, it’s now a local favorite. Fried rice is on the menu at every ramen restaurant (along with the iconic noodle soup and gyōza dumplings) and it’s a perfect crowd-pleaser of a brunch dish. It gives a nod to the tried and true ham ‘n eggs that everyone secretly longs to see on their plate near breakfast time, but with an unexpected and delicious twist.

Japanese Fried Rice

Cha-han

3 T. (45ml) vegetable oil

3 cups* (480g) rice, cooked

1 pkg high-quality ham, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (including green tops)

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 cube chicken consommé

1 T. (15ml) soy sauce

1 t. (5 g) salt

Freshly-ground pepper (about 25-30 twists of the grinder)

Optional:

Poached eggs to put on top

*I make my rice in a Japanese rice cooker, and the measuring cup that comes with it is smaller than a US cup. 3 cups of rice measured with the Japanese cup equals about 2.5 cups of rice measured with US measuring cups. If you accidentally use 3 western cups of rice, though, it’ll still turn out fine!

Directions:

Bring salted water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanche the diced carrots for four minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan (the taller the sides, the better) and sauté diced onion until it is soft, but not brown. Crumble consommé cube into the rice and stir until there are no lumps left. Add diced ham, blanched carrots, sliced green onions, salt and pepper. Mix well and sauté until liquid is mostly absorbed and mixture is about the consistency of porridge.

Stir in the rice, using the side of your spatula/spoon to break it apart until there are no all-white lumps remaining. Add soy sauce and stir until it’s distributed through the rice.

With burner on med-high, stir constantly, turning the rice as it browns against the sides and bottom of the pan, until all the rice in the pan looks brown and delicious.

If desired, top each portion with a soft-poached egg.

How I poach eggs:

Heat a frying pan full of water (deep enough to completely submerge an egg yolk) and when it boils, turn it down to a simmer. Crack each egg into a cup or small bowl before slipping it into the water. Watch eggs carefully, jiggling them gently with a spoon to check whether the whites are cooked yet or not. As soon as the white doesn’t jiggle anymore, the egg is ready to be fished from the water with a strainer or slotted spoon.

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